How to make Apple Cider Vinegar from scraps

Apple Cider Vinegar has so many benefits & uses and you can make it by simply using your scraps of the apples you eat.

Ingredients

Apple peelings or cores

Sugar (1 tablespoon per one cup of water used)

Water

Glass jar (a quart is a great place to start, but you can definitely make larger quantities, too.)

Instructions

Fill the glass jar ¾ of the way with the apple peels and cores.

Stir the sugar into the water until it’s mostly dissolved, and pour over the apple scraps until they are completely covered. (Leave a few inches of room at the top of the jar.)

Cover loosely (I recommend a coffee filter or fabric scrap secured with a rubber band) and set in a warm, dark place for around two weeks.

You can give it a stir every few days, if you like. If any brownish/greyish scum develops on the top, simply skim it off.

Once two weeks has passed, strain the scraps from the liquid.

At this point, my vinegar usually has a pleasantly sweet apple cider smell, but is still missing that unmistakable tang.

Discard the scraps (or feed them to your chickens!), and set the strained liquid aside for another 2-4 weeks.

You’ll know your apple cider vinegar is complete once it has that unmistakable vinegary smell and taste. If it’s not quite there yet, simply allow it to sit a while longer.

Once you are happy with the taste of your vinegar, simply cap and store it as long as you like. It won’t go bad.

If a gelatinous blob develops on the top of your vinegar, congratulations! You have created a vinegar “mother”. This mother can be use to jump-start future vinegar batches. You can remove it and store it separately, but I usually just allow mine to float around in the vinegar as I store it.

Use your homemade vinegar just like you would storebought vinegar– for cooking, cleaning and everything in between!